Hiker snapped pictures of bear before fatal attack in West Milford

WEST MILFORD — The hiker who was killed by a bear in September took pictures of the animal just before the attack.

The pictures show the 300-pound black bear approaching the group of hikers in West Milford’s Apshawa Preserve on Sept. 21, according to authorities, who released the series of five photographs in response to an Open Public Records Act request filed by NJ Advance Media.

Chief Timothy Storbeck said in previous interviews that Patel and four of his friends had begun walking into the preserve that afternoon when they were met by a man and a woman coming the other way. The pair warned the larger group about a bear following them. The couple walked away, leaving the group of five to talk about what they were going to do. They eventually walked farther into the woods.

The five pictures taken from Patel’s phone show the bear from approximately 100 feet, looking toward the hikers but still behind a fallen log, authorities said.

A sixth photo, taken by a friend of Patel’s who was apparently standing next to him, is virtually identical to the five from Patel’s phone. Those were the only six pictures taken by the group, said Ricciardi.

The hikers turned around when the bear kept approaching, authorities said. But the bear caught up with them, eventually closing to within 15 feet, investigators said. When the bear reached that proximity, the group split up running in different directions, they later told police investigators.

Patel at one point lost his shoe, and was last seen climbing a rock formation as he hollered for his friends to continue, with the bear right behind him. The group of four fled the woods and called 911, according to police records.

Emergency responders came upon Patel’s body about four hours later. The bear was in the area, authorities said. Eventually, a police officer shot and killed the bear.

An autopsy showed that Patel was mauled by the bear. Human remains were found in the bear’s stomach and esophagus, and human blood and tissue were found underneath its claws, authorities said.